Let's get serious...the real Batman has arrived!...

BATMAN BEGINS lives up to what I heard about it being a "darker"
version, with much less reliance on flippant one-liners or gags, the
result being a more realistic feel for what might have been.

From the very start, there is a nice chemistry between Alfred, the
butler (superbly played by Michael Caine) and Bruce Wayne (excellent
job by Christian Bale). The humor is of the gentle kind, almost subtle
in its implications, and it sets the stage for the more realistic flow
of events to follow. There's a pulsating background score by Hans
Zimmer and John Newton Howard that races along with the film,
punctuating it in just the right places, at just the right moments, to
give a vigorous punch to the action scenes. And there are plenty of
them.

But the quieter moments are all extremely well played and given depth
by real characterizations--not just cartoonish figures. There is depth
in all of the performances with the possible exception of Katie Holmes,
an actress who speaks in a voice barely above a whisper and fails to
project the belief that she is an assistant district attorney. Miss
Holmes needs lessons in projecting her voice.

Looming over the landscape is Liam Neeson, a distinguished actor who
excels in his carefully concealed villainy. He is a force to be
reckoned with and displays all of his versatility here. Equally
effective in lesser roles are Morgan Freeman, Rutger Hauer as the Board
Chairman that Bruce Wayne ultimately replaces, and Gary Oldman.

The story is forcefully presented with magnificent visuals and
eye-popping sets that all have a realistic gleam and are yet stylized
enough to give credence to the fact that this is all based on a comic
strip character.

I can't praise Christian Bale enough as the man who dons that mask. He
has all the strength and wily intelligence behind his serious good
looks and makes the perfect embodiment of the action hero he is
portraying. Firm of jaw, direct of gaze, he makes an excellent hero.

Praise too for Cillian Murphy, who makes the most of his Scarecrow role
behind a mask of creepy blandness, underplaying his role (as most of
the others do) so as not to become a caricature, as so often happens in
these Batman enterprises. If it's a series of running gags that you
expect--as from previous Batmans--you won't find them here. The thrills
come one after another, set pieces that are astounding to watch.

Well worth the wait. Christopher Nolan has done an excellent job of
handling his subject matter with great skill and flourish.

Warning note: Perhaps a little too intense for children, but adults are
certainly going to appreciate the fact that the real Batman has
arrived.

Was the above review useful to you?

24 out of 34 people found the following review useful:

Simply The Best Comic Book Adaptation Ever

Being a fan of Nolan's previous work, I went into this with high
expectations, and yet somehow, my expectations were surpassed. My
congratulations to the entire cast and crew for making such a
phenomenal film.

It all begins with the story. Nolan and Goyer didn't just adapt from
the comic book, they re- imagined and re-invented Batman and his world
while staying true to it. I might even say what they did was in some
ways better than the comic book. Things in the comic book that would
probably seem preposterous in a live action film are brought to life in
an intelligent way, like the reason for the costume, and the reason for
the villains and their costumes. I won't go too much into the story,
because I think it's best for people to go into this film knowing as
little as possible.

Christian Bale IS Bruce Wayne, and IS Batman. It will be hard to ever
see someone else play the role. The look on his face when Joe Chill
walks out of the courtroom... That demonic voice he gives Batman... The
way he tries to hide his pain when he's told that "the apple has fallen
far from the tree"... an incredible performance. The rest of the cast
is fantastic too, with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman dishing out
some great humor.

And the film looks great. Gotham actually looks like a real city (with
nods to Blade Runner), the lighting is nice and contrasty, and Batman
is believable as a flesh and blood character. Even the flying scenes
are handled nicely. It's hard to talk about this film without giving
things away. If you haven't seen it, please see do. You won't be
disappointed. I'd like to thank Warner Brothers for letting an
intelligent and talented filmmaker make this film without much
interference. Please make more like this one.

Was the above review useful to you?

37 out of 61 people found the following review useful:

Starts well with intelligence and invention but then descends

It had some original stuff that displayed intelligence and thought with
regards to his suit, car and weaponry. It did try to dwell on Bruce a
lot more and convey some of his darkness but I found towards the end it
became very Hollywood-ised. Sometimes filmmakers try to over complicate
things and this was a good example.

I don't know why they can't have a simple bad guy with a simple plan,
why do they have to be so elaborate a plot leaving a growing feeling of
inevitability that by the end there will be some big explosions,
building destruction, lots of flashing lights and Batman will prevail.

The inability of seeing the fighting was immensely frustrating. I don't
think I saw him actually land a single punch. It seems a fight scene
would be imminent and the makers would speed up the camera, ramp up the
bass on the sound, scatter the scene with crunching thuds and smacks
but then forget to actually choreograph a fight. Maybe believing that
if we heard the thuds and saw some activity on the screen that the
audience would imagine the rest and think 'wow, what a scene'. I'd much
rather have two or three clearly thrown punches or kicks than 1-2
minutes of whirling cape, bangs and crashes and people falling to the
ground.

It's a shame that they re-launch the franchise in a blaze of 'this is
going to be darker and different' which it certainly starts off doing
before descending a little bit into Hollywood banality. Why not have
the courage to really shake things up, have the bravery to maybe end it
badly (taking T3's lead) or just not conform to the normal formula.

Showed promise, had some clever stuff and made more of an effort than
some in the franchise but still nothing to rival Batman:Mask of the
Phantasm as the best batman ever made in my opinion.

Was the above review useful to you?

20 out of 28 people found the following review useful:

Character development in a Comic Book/Plot movie? What a GREAT IDEA!

Saw a free screening on Tuesday. I must say, I had my expectations low
for this one, as the previous Batman franchises was just cartoony, over
the top, and flat out mind dumbing. Why do studios continually think
that spending money on 'bankable stars' and special effects will make a
ton of money on box office receipts? Granted "Batman Begins" has a
pretty sizable budget, but they made the right decision with casting
actors that can act and hiring a director that shares the same vision
of the comic book. You will not see any caricatures of the comic book,
but rather be immersed in how Bruce Wayne has that internal conflict of
morality as he becomes Batman. Christopher Nolan takes his time
developing Bruce Wayne's character in the image that Bob Kane had with
his own flair to it. Anyone familiar with Nolan, Christian Bale, and
Cillian Murphy's work will not be disappointed with this movie. Make no
mistake about it, it is a dark movie, which is what makes it so great.
Nolan uses CG effects very sparingly (thank God!).

I rarely give movies a 10 out of 10, as I am pretty brutal with
ratings, but Nolan resurrects a failed franchise. Personally, this is
what Batman should have been all along - The Dark Knight! Anyone who is
a Batman, Nolan, Bale, Murphy fan will not be disappointed. I only wish
I took that money I spent on "Star Wars: ... Sith" went to "Batman".

Was the above review useful to you?

22 out of 32 people found the following review useful:

Outstanding Batman 'Prequel'

This latest Batman film disappointed a lot of people....but not me. I
appreciated it because they didn't overdo the violence, didn''t have a
stupid romance angle to muddy up the real story, and fount it an
interesting history of how Batman became Batman.

The first hour of this "prequel" dealt with his origins. If you're a
fan of the comic book stories and the other Batman films, this part in
the film should not bore you. It was like a documentary to me, about a
topic I was interested in. In fact, on the second viewing I enjoyed
this even more.

Christian Bale did a fine job as the latest Batman. It's too bad there
have been so many actors playing this role, ruining the continuity of
this latest series. I hope Bale continues with a few more efforts with
this character.

It was nice to see Michael Caine in the role of "Alfred." He was
excellent and the stabilizing force of the story. Katie Holmes did not
have anywhere near as big a role, or romantic one, as I expected, and
that was fine with me. I just enjoyed looking at her face, leaving it
go at that. Gary Oldman was also interesting as a low-key young
detective Gordon who would go on to become Commissioner Gordon in all
the other episodes (but, once again, played by another actor.)

The film ends with what would be the beginning of the first Batman,
featuring "The Joker."

After having seen all the Batman films several times, I now think is
the best of them all....perhaps an unpopular choice, but that's my
opinion. Don't let the naysayers keep you from watching this movie. You
might be missing the best of the Batmans!

Was the above review useful to you?

22 out of 32 people found the following review useful:

Dark, Brooding and Stunning.

Batman Begins, the much hyped, much publicised 'reboot' of the Batman
franchise is finally here and boy what a treat it is! I was a big fan
of Tim Burton's take on Batman, his portrayal of the dark knight as a
brooding and reluctant bringer of justice, I always felt fit perfectly
with the imagery of the comic books and gave a great feel to the whole
Batman mythology. The following outings of Batman Forever and Batman
and Robin, were less than splendid though. Over-blown campy nonsense
with two-dimensional characters being upstaged by a campy over the top
rouges-gallery of villains.

So here is the re-boot. The beginning. Batman begins breaks from the
convention of other comic book films. The first act of the film is told
through flashbacks and does not follow a linear editing style. It gives
a fantastic insight into Bruce Wayne's feelings towards his origins and
his motivation for becoming the Dark Knight. It traces his path from
young boy, to troubled young man; unable to vent the anger he feels for
injustice he has suffered at the hand of the criminal element.

Bruce Wayne attempts to confront his demons head on, but soon realises
he is just one man in a corrupt and frightening world. The film takes
us on the journey Bruce endures in trying to find what it is he needs
to do to come to terms with his past and to guide his future. He
travels the world and seeks out a means to better himself both mentally
and physically. He trains with masters of martial arts, to learn the
fighting skills and mental strength he will require to bring justice
back to Gotham. This all provides the very convincing back-story of the
transition from Bruce Wayne to Batman.

Without giving too much of the plot away, Bruce travels back to Gotham
and begins his quest for justice. It shows how he equips himself and
the conflict he has within when dealing with the criminals of the city.
It also shows what other Batman films have failed to show. The trouble
of living a double life when you are a billionaire playboy. Bruce has
to find balance between his public image as Batman and his public image
as a rich, businessman and socialite.

The film climaxes with an awesome final act, showcasing immense fight
scenes, brilliant use of the new Batmobile, gorgeous sets and intense
acting. The final scenes set the film up perfectly for any sequels and
all the while maintains the sense of realism and down to earthiness
that Nolan promised.

Batman Begins is well written, well-shot and combines amazing special
effects, set design and acting to form a perfect final package. This is
without a shadow of a doubt, the best comic-book movie I have ever
seen. Christian Bale puts in a sterling performance as Bruce Wayne,
often reminiscent of his role as a businessman in American Psycho. He
is also very convincing of a man driven to fight injustice, a man with
a troubled past and a man seeking what he must do to come to terms with
it. He is also entirely convincing as the all-action hero Batman,
disposing of criminals with his expert martial arts training enthusiasm
for justice.

The supporting cast is perfect. Michael Caine is an inspired choice for
Alfred. There is good chemistry between him and Bale and you are left
convinced that they have a quasi-father/son relationship and that
Alfred genuinely cares for his young master. Gary Oldman plays a
brilliant Sgt Gordon, the last honest copy, torn between misguided
loyalty to the force and an honest will to protect the innocent.
Cillian Murphy plays a reserved, but entirely psychotic proto-super
villain and Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson, as always provide strong
character roles. Holmes was a fine leading lady, but I couldn't help
feeling she didn't really have enough to do in this film, however only
a minor criticism.

Batman Begins is a dark film, centred on strong themes of fear, over
coming demons of your past and the fight for justice in a corrupt
world. Unlike many comic book films, this film is not in anyway aimed
at children. It is not strictly adult in nature, but follows
intelligent character development, adult conflict and complex
portrayals of the characters. Most comic book films introduce your hero
as good because he wants to save the world and the villain bad because
he wants to take over the world. Then the action begins. This is not
the case with Batman Begins, it gives insight into each character's
motivation and reasons for their actions, it does not expect the
audience to blindly accept anything on face value.

Well done to Goyer and Nolan for producing such an awesome movie. When
I left the cinema, everyone in the audience was grinning at the end of
the film, knowing they had just seen the beginning of something rather
special. Bring on the sequels!

Was the above review useful to you?

22 out of 32 people found the following review useful:

tears...

yup, this film made me cry. it really did. being a hardcore batman fan,
i assume i know every little secret, history, background about the dark
knight. i've waited 13 grueling years (discounting batman forever and
batman & robin for reasons far too obvious) to see a decent BATMAN
film. Not only is Batman Begins decent, it has got to be one of THE
BEST FILM EVER! i watched the film on its last screening together with
my friends in Alabang. after the movie, the entire theater was deserted
and i just sat there, still trying to catch my breath. It is that damn
good.

Christian Bale plays the perfect Batman/Bruce Wayne. Charming,
handsome, and "rich," as Wayne. Terrifying, maniacal, sadistic, and
blacker than black as Batman. "It's not who i am underneath, but what i
do that defines me." Michael Caine as Alfred, humorous, he is the rock
of the Batman family. Almost always, the exchange between Bale and
Caine where Christian tells him "You still haven't given up on me, have
you?" Caine answers "Nevah." Morgan Freeman as Luscious Fox. Quite
different from the character in the real Batman mythology (which for me
is the comic books), but important nonetheless. He's told in the film
as the one who supplies Bruce with all of his "spilunking" stuff. :)
Morgan plays it brilliantly, from his face in the Tumbler while Bruce
is driving, to his deadpan humor near the ending of the film. "Didn't
you get the memo?" That got one of the biggest laughs in the theater.

Liam Neeson, Liam Neeson. Awesome! As Henri Ducard and the real Ra's Al
Ghul, he was cold, beyond reason. Cold, bad-ass in a great way. Esp.
the scenes where he and Bruce were in their ninja suits playing a game
of "hide-and-seek" with all those ninjas. Some of the best lines came
from Neeson's Ducard character. "Are you ready to begin? Katie Holmes.
She's actually the "weakest" link as far as all reviewers or critics
are concerned, but for a fan, well, she actually is. Not weak, but
pretty much, the film could have gone without her. Having her die at
the end of the movie would have made an even better way to start the
Begins sequel given Batman's occasional experiences with deaths that he
feels responsible for. (i.e. the drowned girl in the VENOM series,
Jason Todd) But she does put some nice boy meets girl syndrome during
the early years of Bruce. (Oh, speaking of history, Bruce Wayne did NOT
finish college nor did he finish in Princeton) And, imho, the end
scenes where she and Bruce kissed was ABSOLUTELY YUCKY! i dunno, but
for me, it was totally unnecessary but seeing as how the protagonist
and the girl should kiss even once in a movie scheme held up, well,
there ya go. "You better run!" Cillian Murphy as the Scarecrow actually
should have gotten more screen time. He was really scary even in his
"doctor" mode. the first time we get to see the mask during his talk
with Falcone, awesome. We really got to see the extent of how this
lean, geeky fellow could actually become one of Batman's worst enemies.
Ken Watanabe, very limited screen time. Doggone good nonetheless.

and who could forget...

Gary Oldman as Jim Gordon. "I have to get me one of those." Damn right.
"I think you're trying to help." Can't wait for the next Batman sequel
just for the fact that i'd love to see more of Jim Gordon's interaction
with the Batman.

Overall, this movie gets a perfect 10 out of 5 stars :) This movie has
it all. Great plot, dialogue, action, and an array of Oscar caliber
actors, definitely, Batman renaissance has begun. Batman Begins.

Was the above review useful to you?

11 out of 11 people found the following review useful:

The beginning of a Legend!

I have just seen The Dark Knight, and while I wanted to review it as
fast as I could, I felt it might make more sense to at least review
it's prequel, Batman Begins. It focuses on Bruce Wayne's beginnings.
How he became Batman, and why he did so. He reflects a lot about his
parents' death from a murderer, and gets sent to jail after having his
revenge. In jail, there is a mysterious man that will bring to another
mysterious man by the name of Râs-Âl-Ghul, who trains him to become a
warrior. And, after harsh choices, Bruce Wayne then becomes Batman. The
cast is unbelievable, the special effects are dazzling enough that they
don't steal from the story like in previous superhero films. Also
unlike previous superhero films they don't hand the movie over to a
mega-star actor as an over-the-top villain.

Was the above review useful to you?

14 out of 18 people found the following review useful:

The Bat is Back

Over the years the Gotham City that was once a dark place lined with
evil and corruption, in desperate need of a hero, deteriorated into a
circus tent of Hollywood displays with over-dramatic architecture and
special effects... Where criminals dance around in blacklight sensitive
face paint and so-called villains compete for best comedic performance.
Behind all the bright lights and all-star celebrity casting, we lost
grasp of what the saga is really about: Batman.

Batman Begins opens with Bruce Wayne's discovery as a little boy of an
underground cave where he is traumatized by an attack of massive waves
of thousands of hideous bats. From this incident came an instilled fear
that will forever torment Bruce Wayne. After the death of his parents,
a deep hatred towards crime grows more and more until Bruce decides to
vanish from Gotham City. He learns the skills of an ancient vigilante
ninja organization, developing not only the skills of martial arts but
most importantly the mastery of fear- skills that will ultimately be
the best weapons in facing the evils that will reach Gotham City and to
avenge the death of his beloved parents.

Batman Begins restores the integrity of the Batman saga and goes into
an even deeper conflict... his constant struggle with fear and his deep
hatred towards everything evil. What the other Batman movies lightly
touched on, Batman Begins tells vividly. Why a billionaire would devote
his life to fighting evil. Where he gets all his nifty convenient
gadgets. Why Bruce Wayne can take on 30 armed guys all on his own and
without a gun. And finally why he dresses up as a bat... after all "A
guy who dresses up as a bat... clearly has issues." And Batman does and
should have issues, especially after witnessing first hand the death of
his loving parents, deaths that he feels partly responsible for. The
other movies didn't emphasize enough the true anger Bruce Wayne has
towards those that commit to a life of evil, but in this movie, Batman,
effectively played by Christian Bale, is clearly depicted as a man
anxious to release his anger and frustration to avenge the death of his
parents.

Evil is definitely present in this movie. Where the villains in
previous Batman movies seem like decent people to hang out with, or in
Poison Ivy's case make out with, the enemies in this movie know there
is a job to be done and that there is no time to be funny- not to
belittle Jack Nicholson's role of the Joker, who has a right to be
funny. The depiction of the Scarecrow was amazing, possessing an evil
presence unlike any other Batman villain.

As much as I loved Tim Burton's work, and Michael Keaton's portrayal of
Bruce Wayne/Batman, I'd have to say that the direction of Christopher
Nolan and Christian Bale as Batman put together the best Batman movie
ever made. Besides Christian Bale, the casting was impressive. Alfred,
played by Michael Caine and Fox, played by Morgan Freeman, are both
characters you'll be glad to have alongside Bruce Wayne.

It really is refreshing to see Batman and to finally learn after
decades who he really is. A Batman who is angry and troubled and there
to kick some ass not just for show but with a passion. Now the legend
can live on with dignity and generations from now on can see the true
man behind the bat... not just some heartthrob in tight pants.

Was the above review useful to you?

15 out of 21 people found the following review useful:

What's all the fuss? It's just OK

Batman redone. It gives us a new origin of Batman (Christian Bale) and
how he got his powers and such. He still plays playboy Bruce Wayne
while fighting evil as Batman. His first two villains are the Scarecrow
(Cillain Murphy) who produces intense fear in his victim with a gas and
Ra's Al Ghul--who trained Batman and knows ALL his weaknesses.

OK--it's MUCH better then Tim Burton's dreadful movies but I still
wasn't too impressed. I didn't like the new origin at all and it's a
full hour before Batman even shows up! It does have good parts--Bale is
dead on perfect as Bruce Wayne AND Batman. He also pumped up for the
role (we have at least two shirtless scenes). It LOOKS great (if very
dark) and it has elaborate special effects left and right (with tons of
explosions thrown in too). But I was mostly bored. The training
sequence at the beginning just went on endlessly--it was more like The
Shadow's origin than Batmans. Also this movie was WAY too heavy on
darkness and atmosphere. At one point it was raining and I noticed
nobody in Gotham pulled in their clothes from their lines. This isn't
nit picking but obviously it was all out there to add an "atmosphere"
to the scene. Also when you find yourself worrying about little things
like that the movie just isn't doing its job (i.e. entertaining you).
However Batman's costume, the Batcave and the Batmobile are all
explained pretty logically.

Acting varies--Bale was just great. Michael Caine (as Alfred) matched
him. Even Katie Holmes (a limited actress) was good--too bad she won't
be in the sequel (this inexplicable romance/marriage with Tom Cruise is
destroying her career). Laim Neeson was very dull as a teacher--he
appeared to be drugged out. Gary Olman was (suprisingly) terrible as
Jim Gordon--he seems VERY unsure of how to play the role. But Rutger
Hauer, Linus Roache (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Bale) and
Morgan Freeman were all great.

To be totally honest I looked at my watch more than once. I couldn't
wait for this thing to get over. All the praise this is getting is
beyond me. I give it a 7--and that's mostly for the acting.